


Splashes of Red and Blue

by Kisans



Series: Font Family Stories [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Crossover, Incest Mention, Multi, Rape Mentions, Romance, torture mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 19:37:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6390526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kisans/pseuds/Kisans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Universe hopping always ended you up in strange positions, and Sans was positive this was the strangest. Being confronted face-to-face with himself, but battered and hung to crucify; what could he do? Nothing but save them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Splashes of Red and Blue

**Author's Note:**

> First part to a series of role-plays converted to fanfiction for my AU on tumblr @AskTheFontFamily. I had a ton of people requesting I post the entire story on A03 to make it easier to read, and I'm obliging, of course. <3
> 
> This is the telling of how the two Sanses met, Underfell and Undertale.
> 
> Also, sorry if the flow is weird- updates after this one will have a more linear plot, and the characters will be properly named to differentiate between who is who.

Far in the darkness of his own wild time line, Sans stands in the cold, put on display by his brother to teach the little monsters roaming the snowy, frozen streets of Snowdin not to go against orders of the Royal Guard, especially the head of it. He was nearly stripped to his bones, his slippers and jacket and shirt missing, his shoulders slumped and head hung low, frost bitten tears sticking to his face.

He had been tied tightly to a long pole, being held securely by ropes and chains, a row of his lower ribs were missing, his one leg looked horribly disfigured, and it was clear he was under nourished.

The word, “OBEY” was written on his forehead, and as multiple people passed and stared at him, staring at the mess of a skeleton, he felt himself break just a little bit more.

He had been silently shuffling through this new and quite…. Interesting universe; it had almost seemed to mirror his own, but in a much darker way. Curiosity caught the better of the small skeleton as he managed to find his way to Snowdin, his silent trudging coming to a complete stop when he witnesses the brutal display.

“My god…..” Was all Sans could manage, staring at a much worse off version of himself hung up almost like a fatal warning to anyone seeing him. He cautiously approached the hanging skeleton, only glancing warily at the passing townsfolk that seemed to be quite calm and showing no interest in giving the beaten other any form of compassion.

He was fearful that the other Sans might be dead, but the slight shiver he would occasionally give off showed he was still very much alive, and suffering terribly.

His hands were removed from the warm confinements of his jacket, tentatively reaching out to touch the other Sans, checking if he was still conscious.

“Hello….?”

The cold air lifted from him in slow, drawn puffs, whirling up into the snowy air. He was like a statue, hanging from the ropes like a doll, his eyes shut and toes curled in a manner to try and keep himself from touching the freezing slab he was propped on.

The voice hit him like a train, full force, and he dared not look up. He thought his brother had closed off all possible ways to this time line, yet was somehow able to get to and from different ones like no ones business.

He shrunk more so as he saw a bony hand near his face, and he slowly, painfully rolled his face away, his breathing becoming sharp and harsh, and people stopping to watch as the other skeleton interacted with the dangling one. A small monster child whispered to its mother, which she replied with harsh words.

“No no, you never speak with the doomed.” she whispered. “The guards will get you.” she tugged the child away, and Sans felt more tears surface.

This was painful to just watch, he couldn’t imagine the actual pain the other was feeling now. White pupil darted between the subject of this horrific public display and the mother-child duo. Sans felt raw rage prick and crawl up his spine at her words, but he restrained himself from lashing out.

Gingerly, he pulled his hand back when the other flinched away, satisfied that he was at least still conscious- but also upset that the other Sans was forced to suffer through this humiliation and torture.  
The tears did not go unnoticed and a pang of empathy struck Sans.

“Do you want down?” He asks, quiet so no one but the other could hear him.

Sans breathing was hard, and he hung there, his head rested against the pole as if he was ignoring the other on purpose, but slowly, a drawn out, harsh puff of air, followed by a moan of pain echoed from his mouth, his eyes shutting tight and a few more tears fell down his face, before they slowly opened, red pupils peering down at the other from his dangling position, pain in those shaking, teary eyes.

“…B-bro’ll k-kill m-me..” he whispered out into the air, his toes twisting even more so, a pained expression returning to his face and his head hung down again. Another few people passed, eyes going to Sans, before disappearing into the snowy path they walked. One kid approached beside Sans and grinned up at the shaking form.

“You're new around here, huh?” he asked the unhurt Sans. “Most people know not to talk to the likes of him.” he motioned to the one bound to the pole. “Anyways, it’d probably be smart to get walking.” he said with a wink, before shuffling away. Sans eyes shut again, and a few tears pattered to the snow beneath him, his breathing coming out in shudders.

He was right…. There was no hope for him anyways.

He cringed at the others’ plea, killing him wasn’t an option right now- or ever for the matter. Hands stuffed back into his jacket pockets as he silently mulled over a plan in his head, until he was broken out of his thoughts by the monster child.

Sans didn’t budge at the child’s warning- there was no possible way he was going to just walk away when someone so obviously needed help, especially when that someone was himself.

“That’s it.”

White eyes cast down when the kid walked off before flicking back up, left socket glowing eerily blue with magic. Sans lifted a hand, the blue magic engulfing the other to gently undo the binds that held him to the pole- casting them in all directions until the skeleton was freed from his restraints. The magic would hold the other up so he didn’t fall.

“Let’s get you away from this mess.”

Sans felt the warmth of someones magic grip onto him, and his wrists became undone, but he was so exhausted and tired that he could hardly move, and his form teetered a tad, leaning into the warmth of the fiery blue magic engulfing him and easing him from the pole. He breathed harshly, tears in his eyes as he slowly opened them.

He stared at the other, terrified almost, but shakily, his tears flooded his face, and he gripped onto the others magic, his teeth gritting and breathing harsh.

People watched, whispering quietly into the darkness, watching as the other skeleton freed the more abused one. A few people began to run, and Sans let out a jolting breath, his eyes flying down to the main street, his movements becoming rapid and violent.

“H-H-he-e’ll h–hurt m-m-me!” he wailed, “H-He’s c–coming p–put me b–back!” He pleaded, tears flooding his face.

“What….?”

Hearing the terror in the others’ voice, Sans wavered- but only slightly. He’d ask who this ‘he’ was later, once the other skeleton was safe and in better condition.

Sans’ hand danced a bit as he lifted the other Sans up and away from the pole, bringing him closer to the ground and himself- he ignored the townsfolk, feeling their eyes on them both. The staring started to annoy him, something short of a snarl forming on his face as he pulled the broken skeleton protectively closer.

Whatever horrid world this was, Sans didn’t want to stick around much longer.

A sense of dread fell over the town as people started to come out of their homes, whispering becoming ever louder; something was about to happen, something big and terrifying. Something he was sure wouldn’t end well if they stayed to see it through.

So, he opted out of it.

“We’re leaving, bro.”

In a swirl of teal, pricking, magic- both skeletons had suddenly appeared in Sans’ home. He assumed they were going to be safer here.

Sans felt his head resting on the others' shoulder, the jostling he was given left him in a panicked and slightly pained state, but that didn’t stop him from clinging to this other Sans as tight as his shaking hands could, his knees daring to give out from under him.

The sound of voices echoing in the snowy town came to their ear just as they began to vanish, and Sans hid his face in his doppelgangers neck, his breathing violent and eyes shut tight. For a moment, he felt safe…. Just a moment.

Then he appeared in a place he hadn’t seen before, a warm, cozy living room, a TV set against a wall, a couch in the middle of the room and a stairwell. That's all the poor skeleton could make out, before his knees became weak and he began to collapse, clutching at the other violently, tears staining his cheeks and body shaking madly.

His brother’s voice and footsteps could be heard upstairs, and Sans shook in terror of it, afraid it was who he was speaking of before.

His arms quickly darted out as his magic faded, making a quiet noise as he caught the other, keeping him upright- teleporting two people wasn’t the easiest of tasks, especially when he was trying to keep them held together.

But, Sans powered through, being careful as he hold the other up as if he were currently made of the most fragile glass. He notices the sudden fear spreading on the other Sans’ face, his mind slowly- and terribly- connecting the dots and forming all the answers he was passively seeking.

“I-it’s okay, you’re safe here, bud- I promise.” Sans speaks softly, trying to calm the other down- he glances up towards Papyrus’ room, hoping in vain that his brother would quiet down for just a few minutes, but he was on his social media website, loudly proclaiming his posts before making them.

“Nothing here is gonna’ hurt you.”

Sans staring up at the younger skeletons bedroom door, his arms snagging around his alternates shoulders, hands shaking violently and tears in his red eyes slipping down his face, before he peered back at the other, breathing hard.

Safe?

He didn’t know what that meant…He never knew what safe was, never knew how it felt…he wanted it for years, but now…now he had it in his grasp. All he had to do is clamp down on it. But the poor skeleton was shaking, and he could hardly move, and instead of taking control, he huddled closer to his twin, his face hiding in his shoulder, breathing hard and knees knocking.

“H–hurts…” he managed to whisper.

His soul ached at the display and his opposite’s actions- he couldn’t stand seeing the other so broken up like this, the others’ pain almost seeming to seep into himself. He let them cling to his person, gingerly moving to give him an awkward, but protective, hug.

Whatever this Sans has been through, he was sure as hell going to make sure it never happened again.

He tried to be as gentle as he could in doing so, but Sans swiftly lifted his twin into his arms to carry them the short distance towards the couch- carefully laying him down on it. Eyes scanned over the others' body, taking in the damage- and there was a lot of it.

A frown set on his face as he reached a hand out to tenderly touch the alternate Sans’ ulna where a crack had already begun to bruise with a finger.

“I’m sorry….” He mutters under his breath.

Sans groaned and whimpered as the other swiftly picked him up, his eyes shutting tight and legs dangling only for a moment, until he made impact with the softest of couches he had ever felt…and believe me, he had met a few unwanted couches. But here he was, laying sprawled, half exhausted and terrified, his eyes half shut as he watched the other touch him.

He jolted just a bit, out of hurt and fear, but not for the other, just for the touch. Touch was…he didn’t like it…all that much…Gently, he let out a little whine to warn the other it hurt, before replying to what sans had said.

“Tired…”

He whimpered again, gently pawing at the others head and trying to cling to something warm, his bones chilled and almost as if he had frost bite, a few hardly moved.

Of course it hurt, and all he had been doing by gawking was prolonging the pain. Pulling his hand back, Sans sighed softly, he understood how the other felt in being tired- the exercising of his magic was beginning to drain him a bit, but he couldn’t afford to rest right now, no matter how much he’d wanted to.

“Right.” He nodded his head, letting the other continue to cling- he kept himself from touching back now, just in case he caused any more injuries.

And speaking of, they needed to get those fixed asap. He knew there would be protest when he tried to pull the other off his person to lie him back flat on the couch, but Sans needed space to see and work.  
“Okay, Sans,” It felt so weird saying his own name like that. “I’m gonna’ try to heal you, so you need to be still….” This amount of damage would take several sessions to truly help, but he needed to help ease his twin’s discomfort and pain now.

“Can you do that?”

Sans whined as the other whispered those words, his head trembling as he tried to nuzzle the other back again, but was gently being ushered into sitting back and staying still. He didn’t like that idea, but he slowly took it upon himself and nodded. He didn’t want the alt version of himself angry- or to kick him out. Hell, he just wanted to fall asleep, but the others presence was helping him drastically calm down.

“O-okay-” he whined quietly, his hand slowly letting the others shoulder go, collapsing against his chest, his eyes staring back at the other in slight pain, but mostly curiosity.

“I-I’m n–normally really strong– I swear.” he whispered, eyes darting around the room to try and stop the forming tears in the corners of his eyes.

“Heh…. Yeah, I believe you, buddy.” He says quietly as he shrugs his jacket off, just dropping it onto the floor as he sits on his knees to be closer to the other. Sans’ bony hands hover above the other, assessing where the most critical of damage was- it was hard to figure out where to start.

That leg looked to be the most gnarly, so he figured that’s where they should begin.

He scoots down a bit, to get closer to the injury, hands close but not touching the broken limb. His eye became illuminated with the teal magic, his hands becoming engulfed in the wisps- and they spread downwards, covering the other Sans’ broken leg with warm magic.

“We’re gonna’ get you fixed up and cleaned, bro.” He mumbles almost to himself, internally seething at the extent of these injuries- how could this happen? He was stronger than Papyrus, and it just seemed like that should be a universe constant…..

His shoulders tensed as he continued to think about it- he needed to say something to ease himself or else the healing was going to take much longer.  
“What bone would a dog never eat?”

Sans trembled as he fiddled with his own fingers, his breathing calm and slow, even as the others fingers roamed right above his broken and mangled bones. He peered back at him as he gently began to make a blue, wispy flame that slowly began to engulf his whole leg.

With a little whimper, he fearfully jerked at it, but didn’t move much, unable to struggle really. It hurt just a little, like the stinging of sunscreen on a sunburn, or the soft pricking of a thorn in his leg over and over. He shut his eyes tight and grit his teeth, hands shaking against his chest and sweat on his forehead.

The others voice came to him again, and he peeked from his shaking state, sniffling softly. Was it gonna be a joke? He wasn’t good with jokes, hell if he was good with anything. He hadn’t the pass time to get good at them. He swallowed hard and peered at him for a moment, before replying in the faintest and shakiest voice.

“W–what bone?” he asked softly.

“A trombone.” He snickered quietly, looking up at the other Sans and giving him a silly wink at the punchline. His magic didn’t falter as it continues to bind together the larger cracks and fissures in the bone. Once they had been comfortably fixed, Sans hands moved upward to the other’s ribcage, hovering as the magic spread over the fractures.

He figures this process would go by faster with the bad jokes to distract them both, already gearing up the next one in his head.

Sans head tilted at the punchline, before a silly smile spread across his face, and he let out a little laugh, one of his hands rushing to his face to try and rub away his sweat. “AHaH! Thats not bad!” he giggled, his toes curling a tad and watching the other heal his ribs. He didn’t move much as the other worked, his smile staying on his face.

He heard a voice from upstairs yet again, and he watched a skinny figure bolt from the doorway, eyes flying open and pupils turning to tiny red dots, quickly jolting up and scattering over the back of the couch, hiding against the edge of it and peeking out from behind it.

That was probably a bad idea, but he was too terrified to notice the aching in his ribs. There stood another version of his angry, bitter brother, and his breathing became panicked, violent even, hands quickly hugging his head and knees curling to his chest.

“HELLO BRO–"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!” he screamed, trying hard to hide in himself and rocking violently. “NOOO- NONONONONO!!” he wailed, big hot tears falling down his face.

Sans had been willfully ignoring his younger brother during this whole ordeal and had completely forgotten about him being in the house until he burst out of his bedroom and began to march down the stairs. He scrambled to his feet when the other Sans panicked and dove behind the couch.

He desperately wanted to go back there and try to calm down his twin, but that wouldn’t happen so long as Papyrus was in the house.

Quickly, he darted over to the taller skeleton, a look of desperation and worry etched in his usual grin.

“H-hey, Paps….” Sans gritted out, trying not to sound strained but it came out that way. His hands held up in defense as he stood between the couch and the sentry. “I, uh, have a friend over r-right now….” He manages to say, eyes moving from Papyrus to the screaming skeleton and back.

“Y-you think you can do me a s-solid and go h-hang out with Undyne for a little while?”

Papyrus looked horribly startled at the sudden screaming, but as his brother rushed to him in a begging manner, he had to comply, and he quickly nodded. “O-okay..” he said quietly slowly hurrying towards the door, peering back at the curled up, half naked skeleton who spotted him at the door, and burst his way out from behind the couch, rushing to the front, breathing violent and sobs and screams still rocking him, his knees slammed into his ribs and he held them, rocking and sobbing.

Papyrus rushed out of the house, leaving the door open a crack.

Sans stayed near the television, his wailing still as strong as when Papyrus was in the room. “Nonononononoooo!’ he sobbed quietly, his hiccups rocking him and making his shoulders shake violently.

Sans moved to the front door, giving Papyrus an apologetic wave as he left, closing the door quietly behind him. He felt horrible for having to do that, but he can handle one upset skeleton- not two. He’d deal with Papyrus and explain everything later.

He cautiously approached the shaking Sans, crouching down in front of him and gently placed his hands on the other’s shoulders- trying to reassure him in some form that he was alright, that he was safe.

“Sans, buddy, hey…..” He made soft ‘shushing’ noises, trying to calm him down. “Paps is gone, it’s fine….” He was afraid this wasn’t helping much and carefully pulled the other skeleton into a warm hug.

Sans shook, hands hanging gently but quivering over his head, tears in his eyes as he was spoken to, but everything seemed to come in as muffled, violent noises, ringing in his ears, his shoulder shivering as he tried not to move, but he was pulled into a pair of warm arms, and he dug his hands into his shirt, his breathing harsh and violent, his toes curling and back arching so his form seemed to mold to the others form.

“Don't hurt– m-m-me p–pappy– don't hurt me–” he whispered over and over again under his breath, his head slowly tucking closer to the others head, his breathing harsh against the others neck.

“Don't touch– don't touch me– don't touch me papyrus– don't touch me.... Nonono.... No..” he moaned, pained and groggy.

Sans’ arms wrapped protectively around the other, holding him close, but gently so he didn’t rub wrong against any tender wounds. He felt that unbridled rage begin to bubble in his core again at the words the other was muttering.

How could the other Papyrus do all this? What hell has this Sans been suffering through?

An inaudible growl bubbled out his throat, he’d have to deal with that later as well- this wasn’t something he was just going to idly stand aside and let continue.

“Shh, it’s okay…. It’s okay….” Sans coos over and over again, trying to reassure that the other was okay, that everything was alright- even if it wasn’t. “Papyrus is gone. He’s not going to hurt you.” And Sans wasn’t referring to his Papyrus, either.

Sans breathed harshly against him, his eyes shut tight, tears falling down his face, but his hands tangled in his shirt, and his bare chest continued to heave as he breathed, head huddling against his chest and hands wrapping around his middle.

Maybe it was time he rested for real. He looked really really tired, and it wasn’t healthy for someone to go through something so horrible and not rest. Hell, he wasn’t sure when the last time he rested was. “.... I just w–wanna sleep....” he whispered to the other.

“Let’s get you cleaned up first….” Sans said, a hand tentatively reached up and patted the back of his doppelgangers skull- he was still covered in dirt and dried blood, that was no way to go to sleep. “Then we’ll get you in some warm clothes, sound alright?”

He wanted the other to feel comfortable and clean- and this also meant he would have to at least dress his bed for once, the thought made Sans roll his eyes.

Hands moved down to the back of the mirror Sans’ legs, and with one movement, he heaved the other into his arms standing on wobbly legs. He wasn’t used to this much exertion, but he knew his twin was worse off than himself and needed the help.

“Don’t worry, bud- I’ve got you, just relax, okay?”

Sans shakily groaned as he was lifted from the ground, every inch of his bony frame ached and ebbed in pain. He wrapped both his arms around the others neck and nuzzles closer, his breathing harsh and violent as he was lifted from the ground. He felt himself slowly calm, he rested his head in the others neck and slowly began to rest his eyes. “Don’t leave..” He whines.

“I’m not going anywhere, Sans.” He said calmly, starting to walk the other towards the bathroom. Using his foot, he nudged the door open and carried the injured skeleton in, using his foot again to close the door behind them.

Gently, Sans placed the other Sans down on the toilet- easing him down so he didn’t cause them any more pain.

“Alright, we gotta’ get those beat up shorts off you, bro.” He made a face at the tattered and dirty shorts, he half wondered how long the other had been hung up to crucify if he was this soiled. He didn’t want to make this too awkward either, but it was just himself, right? 

It shouldn’t be too weird.

Sans quietly clung to his doppelganger, his eyes shut tight and his breathing courser then before. He was being brought up the stairs and he felt his head gently sway against the others shoulder, eyes peering behind them as they walked, watching each bit of the house around him, and just as they reached the bathroom, Sans stared back up at his other version.  
Damn, he felt so weak.

As he was laid gently on the edge of the toilet seat, he inspected each part of the bathtub, one hand slipping from his twin and patting at the wall behind him, as though he was checking if it would cave in, or maybe he was just feeling it…

He peered down at his shorts, frowning, before looking away yet again, not replying to him about the pair of underwear. He didn’t exactly want them off, but.... He knew if he had to he would.

Didn’t want the other upset.

“I can leave you alone to bathe, if you want….” Sensing the tension begin to rise in the room, he knew this would be awkward- plus, he wasn’t concerned whether or not his twin would try to hurt himself further. Sans just wanted the other to feel comfortable.

He did move, however, to run the water until it was warm, filling the tub half way. He sat on the edge of the tub waiting to hear the others' response.

“NO!” Sans cried as the other said this, quickly snatching hold of the others' shirt, and tugging him closer, hiding his face in his shirt, his breathing harsh. “P-plea–ase d–dont g-g-go?” he begged, tears forming in his eye sockets, his forehead butting the others' chest, his shoulders shaking violently, and toes curling tight and pressing against his butt a tad. “D–dont go–I-I’ll be g–good– I-I-i’ll take them off–” he whimpered quietly.

He shakily tried to tug off his old nasty shorts, looking desperate and sad, and most of all, scared of being so alone.

“Calm down, it’s okay.” Sans said. “I’ll stay, I just didn’t want to make you feel weird.” He added quietly, patting his twins back to try and comfort him. It was honestly a little weird, but he just wanted to help as much as he could.

“I won’t go anywhere, Sans.” He added to point, giving the other a reassuring smile. “J-just take your time, we’re in no rush, bro.”

Sans really needed that reassuring few words, and he slowly began to calm, his hands gently slowed, and he let out a shaky sigh, hands squeezing his shorts, before slowly he tugged them off over his hips, his pelvis shown only a moment as the other quickly covered himself with his hands, head low.

His pelvis was horribly mangled, and it was clear someone, or something, and been hurting him directly there, and to an extent worse then his leg, or his ribs. How the other could stand or move for that long was unclear, but he apparently had dealt with it for a while, but it was clearly something he was ashamed of.

One of his hands slowly reached for the water, tapping it softly, curiously and silently playing with it.

He kept himself from watching, to make sure the other stayed comfortable. He didn’t want to invade his privacy since he did seem tentative about removing the shorts. Even if it was himself in the end, and that they were just skeletons, Sans still didn’t want to cross any lines.

He stood up, stepping away from the tub to stand in front of the other, holding his hands out for them to take.  
“Need me to help you in?” Sans offered, gentle smile never fading.

Sans shakily and nervously eyed the other, before slowly and cautiously taking his hand, uncovering himself and looking away soon after. He felt ashamed, but surely this Sans wasn’t judging him. After all, he was taking him in, giving him shelter, healing him…

No ones done that since.... Since…

He shuddered at the memory of that lovely woman and looked down at the water, his face crest fallen and hands shakily gripping at the sides of the bathtub wall. As he lowered himself into the steaming water, he gave out a shaky little sigh.

It was perfect, and he slowly sprawled himself out in it, to the point his face nearly went under the water. His teeth chattered and a thick blush rested on his cheeks, possible signs of sickness that may have been racking him before. 

Once he was sure the other was good, Sans let him go as he sunk deep into the water, his smile softening a bit more. He was happy to see the other finally relax, even if it was just a small amount- it actually transferred to himself as well, moving to sit back down on the edge of the tub.

Sans did start to notice a lot of the smaller, almost scarring cracks in the others’ bones- as if he’d been going through this for a very, very long time. He wanted to know, but didn’t want to press- not right now. Anger started to bubble again as he thought about it, noting to himself in the future to confront the other 'Papyrus’ about everything he’s done.

“You hungry?” He decides to ask instead, moving to grab a pouf from the shower head, bringing it down with a bottle of soap.

Sans shuddered softly, his breathing coming out gentle as the water lapped about him, before he peeked himself up just above the water to hear the other better, his hands curled on his chest and his toes touching the back of the bathtub.

“Y-yes..” he said sweetly, his eyes narrowing as he watched the water running on the sponge, hands pawing at the splattering water in curiosity.

“Do you guys eat a lot of food? Bro used to give me sandwiches until I started getting bad again. I only am allowed to eat a piece of bread now and again…” He said, suddenly becoming the most talkative he as ever been. “I used to steal the mustard at Grilby’s cause he would take me there and eat in front of me, and I used to stuff it in my jacket and eat it at home..until he found out I was getting fat.” he said softly, grabbing at the water a bit.

“He thinks I should lose weight..” he looked down at his bones and poked at his chest, his bones thin and fragile. “I’m not that fat.... I don't think..”  
“Yeah, I guess we kinda’ do eat a lot-”

Sans had been idly squirting the soap into the pouf he’d gotten, until the other began speaking more, and he reflexively squeezed it too much- getting soap all over his hand and into the water.  
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, Sans tried his best to keep a straight face, not wanting to upset the other, but worry began to crack on it as he kept talking. Torture, public humiliation, starvation? It felt like he was going cross eyed as the information truly sunk in.

The pouf fell from his hand and plopped with a small splash into the bathtub, Sans reaching out to take his twins shoulders, pulling him into a compulsory hug.

“Nah, no way, bro.” He says quietly. “You can’t be fat, ‘cus your nothing but bones.” A really shitty attempt at a joke, but it’s all he could muster right now- emotions were swirling inside him like a hurricane. Anger, sadness, compassion, empathy…. All he wanted to do was get the other healed up, fed, safe, and then completely wreck that alternate version of his brother for doing this.

Sans gasped as he was tugged closer, but once he was huddled in a warm hug, his hands smooshed between the other and himself, he slowly began to sink into the touch, eyes slowly drooping and head nuzzling closer.

He looked down at himself, before letting out the softest of laughs, finding the joke amusing and interesting, even if the other was shaking as he held him. “O-Oh I get it!” he said sweetly. “C–cause I have no skin! T–that's funny!” he said, gently clinging to his shirt as he was held. He perked at the sponge gently touching his leg, and slowly reached for it, squeezing it gently and looking it over. “…Whats this?” he asked quietly.

He patting the water with it, squeezing it as soap drizzled out. “W-whats this stuff? Is it alive?” he asked, before quickly dropping it in fear he hurt the supposed creature. “D–did I kill it??” he asked.

He pulled away when the other started asking about the sponge, serious face cracking back into a small smile. His shirt was wet now, but Sans didn’t care as he reached down to pick the pouf back up with a chuckle.

“It’s a sponge, and that’s soap. So, it’s fine.” He didn’t even realize what he’d been explaining, had this Sans never had a bath before? The more he learned, the more rage bubbled in his core. 

“Here, let me help you.” Sans moved closer, dipping the pouf back in the warm water to lather the soap up before gently pressing it onto his twin’s shoulder blade, making small circles against the bone.

“I’m not hurting you, am I?”

Sans watched him nervously, but slowly relaxed as the sponge was pressed to his back, his shoulders drooping and his head dropping against his protectors shoulder, his breathing slowing incredibly. 

“… I-its okay…. It doesn’t hurt.. I-it feels good.” he said quietly, his whole body relaxing. He hadn’t been this relaxed in years, and that was saying something. Sans usually wasn’t this submissive either, more relaxed and snappy, but never this small feeling. 

And with his duplicate…he felt safe, warm…actually wanted for once.

He peered up at him, before looking away and yawning tiredly again, letting out a shaky breath. “…I-I like baths…they're nice~” He mumbled quietly, nudging his head against the others chest.

“They are, aren’t they?” He repeated, trying to calm himself down as he continued to gently scrub at any spots of dirt and dried blood on the others’ back. There was a particularity rough spot on his scapula, probably from where it had been rubbing against the pole he’d been chained to.

“Just tell me if it hurts, though, okay?”

Sans was careful in cleaning the area before moving down the back of his twin’s ribs, pouf dipping between the slats, covering them in foamy soap. He let the other lean against him with no complaint, beginning to get comfortable with the alternate’s close presence.

“After this, we gotta’ get some food into you, bro.” He says, crossing over to clean the other side of his twin’s back. “I’m sure there’s some edible spaghetti in the fridge.”

Sans shook a tad at the soft touch, before peeping up a tad and smiling. “W-whats spaghetti~?” he asked, playing with the others shirt, his fingers looking over the stitch work and admiring how it was put together, even though it was just a simple shirt.

“Is it like a sandwich?” he asked quietly. “I like sandwiches..” he yawned again, in the midst of speaking about the sandwiches, his eyes shutting as the other washed him cautiously, the noises of the water rolling over his trembling bones calming him completely and causing him to relax enough that the other could wash the rest of him.

“..mm..S–sandwiches and a–hot dogs look really good- Papyrus used to eat them a lot, and he would make me watch c–cause he said if I saw how a true good monster gets rewarded then I-I’d be good again.” He yawns again.  
“..I-I’m not g–good all the time..” he mumbled, playing with the others shirt collar.

“Your Papyrus is a dirty liar.” His words came out cold and serious, he never faltered in the washing, though, making sure the others back was free of grime. Sans couldn’t honestly remember the last time he’d been this livid, and definitely never at his own brother- but this wasn’t his brother they were talking about.

“I can make you a sandwich if you want that instead.” Sans adds, voice turning back to its usual soft tone, now focusing on washing his doppelgangers shoulders and clavicle. 

Sans hummed and clung to him, watching as he was gently washed all over, nodding softly to the others offer. “I-I’ve never had spaghetti… I-I don't think I’m allowed to have it…Papyrus w-would get really mad.” he whispered as he was gently washed, his ribs dripping with suds and arms drifted over his chest, his toes curling in the water.

“Papyrus gets really mad at me all the time..” he yawns softly again, whining a tad in frustration. he didn’t want to keep yawning, it was just so hard to keep his eyes open right now.  
“…will you put mustard on my sandwich?” he asked ever so softly, looking at him with wide eyes, so full of hope and adoration for the other.

He looked just like a curious, hopeful child.... Everything about him screamed that.

“Well, he’s not here to stop you. So, I think it would be alright.” He says, taking notice to the others constant yawning- they should probably wrap this up and get him to bed before he passes out in the tub.

“But, yeah, I think we’ve got some mustard in the fridge.” Sans smiles, chancing a glance over the rest of his twin’s body- just to make sure the bulk of the dirt had washed away. His eyes stay on the others mangled looking hips for only a second longer, heart suddenly sinking again. Ask later, Sans said to himself.

He really couldn’t say no to anything the other wanted right now, so long as whatever his request was- was reasonable, and so far they have been more than such. Sans just wanted the alternate to feel and get better at this point, he didn’t care what it took.

“Alright, let’s get your dried.” He rehangs the pouf back on the shower head by it’s rope and moves to stand up, reaching over to grab the fluffy towel hanging on the wall. Sans holds his hands back out for the other to hold on to as he helped him to his feet.

Sans smiled sleepily at the others confirmation about the mustard, his grin staying while he was rinsed and quickly stood. He shivered, hugging his chest, peeking around and wiggling his butt in the cold. “I-I really like Mustard.” he smiled brightly, before stumbling shakily from the tub, gripping onto the other the entire way out.

He wiggled around the bathroom, slowly and shakily walking and inspecting the mirror and the sink and the walls, curiously staring at everything.

“Do you guys have a pet? I-I don't. Papyrus pretended for a while that he was gonna get me one, and he gave me a rock for Christmas. I-It was my first Christmas present too.” He said matter of fact, his toes curling beneath him.

“I-Is– is th–the Papyrus I saw before m–my Papyrus?” He asked softly.

“Yeah, I have a pet rock, too. I don’t take good care of it, though.” Sans said, wrapping the warm towel around the other’s body, carefully patting him dry. Once he felt the other was sufficiently dried, Sans rested the towel over his shoulders, covering a good part of his bony body with the cloth. 

“No, that was my Papyrus.” He straightened the towel out a bit with a smile. “He’s really great, you know, I think you’d like him a lot. He’s trying his best to get in the Royal Guard, likes puzzles, and is passionate about his spaghetti.” Sans smile was genuine as he spoke of his brother, his hands resting on his twin’s shoulders.

“He’s so cool.” Eyes flick up to the other’s face. Oh, he completely forgot to bring clothes in with them, looks like they’d have to go into the shit-storm that was his bedroom.  
“I guess it’s a good thing we’re the same person- you can just use my clothes, sound alright?”

Sans smiled at the gentle pats, his hands clutching at the towel, his legs wiggling as he was dried and gently pet down. It was a nice feeling, and he enjoyed being taken care of. He peeked up at the other when he spoke of his brother so fondly, and Sans listened, frowning and wiggling.

“…H-he sounds nice.” he said softly, before looking up at the other when he mentioned the clothes. “I-I..I-I don't have to! If its too much trouble! I can just wear my old shorts.” he said softly and quietly, his hands fiddling with the towel.

“No, no, those are being thrown away. Even I can’t deal with them.” He chuckled, with the way he wore clothes, those tattered shorts were just a little too much. Sans was glad that Papyrus had done his laundry the other day, that was going to make this a lot easier.

“Now, c’mon, my room is next door- think you can walk it, or do you want me to carry you?” Sans offered, knowing good and well that after all of this tonight, he was going to pass out like there was no tomorrow. Today has just been too exhausting for him to be able to hold on much longer, but he would power through it until the other was asleep.

Sans nodded softly, his hands reaching up and tucking about the others neck, dropping his towel a little. He quickly snatched it back up and tucked it over his shoulders, trying yet again to cling to the alternate version of himself, but it continued to fall.

“Fuck!” he whined, grabbing it and trying to tie it about his neck, hands one hand clinging to Sans’ shoulder, his feet pattering a tad each time he tried to tie it. “Hhnng- I cant do it.” he whined, showing the other.  
“Ho-how do you do a towel?” he asked, trying to instead wrap it around his ribs and tie it there.

“It’s okay, I got it.” Sans said, adding on a playful wink. Grabbing the ends of the towel, he wrapped it around the others chest, tucking one corner in to hold it up so it wouldn’t continue to fall down.”That’s better. That way you’re not just bare boned walkin’ around.” His puns were just as tired as he was, but he couldn’t help but chuckle.

He moved to wrap an arm around his twin’s chest, lifting one of his arms to rest over his own shoulders for support before heading to- and opening- the bathroom door.

Sans hummed and watched him, gripping his wrists as he did so, his eyes curiously watching him move the towel about, before staring up at the other, wrapping his arms around his neck and clinging to him with his legs. He stared as he was carried out, falling silent as they moved him to the hall. 

The house was quiet and the sound of the television on in the living room alerted the two. Sans sunk into the others arms, noticing the tall skeleton in the living room, but not reacting the same as he did last time, this time he fell silent and staid that way.

He gave Papyrus an acknowledging nod, just to be sure the other knew he wasn’t ignoring the younger. Quietly, Sans got the two into his mess of a bedroom, walking towards his bed. Using his magic Sans cleared the mattress of socks, just setting them on the floor at the foot of the bed, carefully placing his alternate down.

He gently patted the top of his twin’s head before going to his closet- which was surprisingly tidy in comparison to the rest of the room. Sans dragged out one of his old sweaters and a pair of pajama pants, bringing them back over.

“I think these will do.” He grins, unfolding the clothes. “Then I’ll get ya’ something to eat.”

Sans nervously clung to him, noticing as Papyrus stared up at them both, looking slightly nervous himself and a tad sad at the curled up ball of jitters. He gently waved back, watching them walk into his brother’s room.

Sans was set down on the mattress, his hands patting the soft cushion and his gruff voice peeping out of his ribs as he saw the warm sweaters, reaching for them and touching them with cold fingers, looking excited. Real sweaters, real warm sweaters! He patted the material and smiled, squeezing the warm sleeves and the mid section, before peeping out again.

“I–I get to use them??” he asked in awe, gently wiggling his legs and staring them over. 

“Bro, you can keep them. I don’t really wear them anyway, mostly just this.” Sans motioned to his shabby, well worn clothes- they were his favorite, the rest of his wardrobe was just for special occasion or for when these needed to be washed.

He unfolded the sweater and pants, moving to help pull it over the others head- getting a small nostalgic feeling of helping Papyrus from when he was little and needed help getting dressed.

Sans blushed madly and stared in utter shock and awe, holding the sweater to his frame as it slipped over his arms and chest, his arms wrapping about his middle and hugging the fabric. He was shocked to get to have these clothes, and as the other helped him into them, tears welled in his eyes, and he looked over the sweater in awe.

“…I get to keep them?” he asked ever so softly, tears in his eyes as he felt the fabric.

“…Y-you p–promise?” he felt tears falling down his face.

He was going to start crying if the other kept on like this, smile never fading; He was so grateful, as if no one had ever shown him an ounce of true, genuine kindness his entire life. It nearly broke his own heart.

“Promise. They’re all yours, Red.” He said, making sure it sounded like he meant it, because he did. Sans leaned down to press, what could be considered the skeleton equivalent to, a kiss on the others forehead. It lingered for a moment before Sans pulled away, silently wondering where that had come from, but not mulling on it too much.

He started to unfold the pants, readying to help his twin into them.

A nick name. 

He hadn’t ever had a nick name before…He never knew he would get one, and now he did. Red. He liked it. He gently played with his sweater, his head tilted down as the other kissed it, pressing his face to his forehead, and Sans..no Red.

He nuzzled his head up against the others mouth, his smile wide, and eyes closing just a tad, hands nestled in his own sweater. “T–Thank you~” he whispered in the softest, and sweetest of voices, his own thick voice wavering violently, his toes curling. 

He peered down at the pants once the kiss ended, and he wiggled. He wiggled in such excitement that his toes tapped on the ground beneath him, and a bright smile coming to his face. “P–Pants?? Real pants??” he asked, patting them softly, before tugging at them and peeking into them. “Are they like shorts?” he asked. 

“Kind of, but these are way more comfortable. They’re fleece, so it’s like being in the warmest blanket all the time.” He chuckled under his breath, mostly at the others reaction- happy that Red had really started to calm down, and that smile. Sans would kill if it kept that smile on his twin’s face.

His eyes caught sight of the gold tooth for the first time, finding that to be quite the interesting feature, his own tongue ghosting over where it would be placed in his own mouth- nah, gold just wouldn’t look as good on him as it did the other.

He crouched down, trying to keep the pants low enough so his twin didn’t have to do much work to get into the pajamas.

Sans softly gripped the others shoulder blades, his feet softly plopping one after the other into the pants, his butt wiggling to try and help get them up, towel plopped on the ground about his form. He smiled once they were all the way up, his grin wide and toes curling, patting the warmth of the pants and sweater, his face flushing the brightest of reds, and a happy giggle coming from that smile.

“I-I really like them!!” he said happily, doing a little dance as he wore them gently around his pelvis, baggy sweater bouncing softly on him.

“I-I really like them- The-they're cozy!” he peered up at the other and quickly scuttled closer, wrapping both his smaller arms around his middle and hugging him tightly, hiding his face in his chest.

“T-thank you~” he said sweetly. 

“Good.” Sans hummed in approval once the other was fully dressed, glad he liked them. “Looks nice on you, much better than they did on me, at least.” Another chuckle as he stood upright, stretching his arms out a bit, bones cracking as they popped back into place after being over used. Part of him just really wanted to plop face down into the bed and fall into a blissful sleep, but they still needed to make something to eat.

“Now, do you want to chill here while I go grab some grub? I won’t be gone long.” He didn’t leave yet, wanting to wait for his twin’s answer before moving.

Sans gently played with his sweater, not replying right away as he gently tucked the collar of the sweater over his face a bit, shutting his eyes and taking a deep whiff of the sweet smelling, clean fabric. He does it again, this time wiggling his legs a tad in happiness. He notices the other in the doorway, turning a tad red, before speaking up.

“I-I can wait here!” he said softly, his voice gentle and hands wagging about this hips. “I-I wont make a mess, promise!” he said, smiling another toothy smile, his cheeks turning a tad more red.

“Please, if you can manage to make a mess of all this,” Sans motioned to his bedroom, which was a tornado of old clothes, ketchup bottles, and junkfood wrappers. “Then I would applaud you, dude. Because it would be a feat.” He chuckled and gave the other a short wave.

“But yeah, sit still- go ahead and nose around if you’re brave enough, I’ll be right back.” And he was gone, already climbing down the stairs. He gave the skeleton watching TV a short greeting, telling him that he’d explain everything in the morning and not to worry, before heading into the kitchen.

After quickly putting together what he considered a decent couple of sandwiches, heavy on the mustard as requested, Sans put the plate of a TV tray along with a glass of milk, carrying it back upstairs to his room.  
Sans had stared as the other left, waving softly as the baggy sweater fell down his arm, flopping as he waved. once the other was gone, he looked around the room, picking up a sock and leaning in, smelling it, before throwing it across the room and making a sickened face. He looked around curiously, peeking out the windows. 

…No bars? He was free to escape?

He stared out them, watching as a blue jay scampered by in the snow, catching a twig in its bill and flying away. He blinked, waving at it, before quickly plopping on the bed, yawning with exhaustion. He rolled onto one side, then the next, before sitting up and staring at the machine in the middle of the room.

Huh.

In a few minutes, he was pushing buttons, sitting on it, playing with the bars, before jumping up when the other entered. “I-I wasn’t playing with it!” he cried, running to the bed and plopping in it.  
Sans almost dropped the tray when he saw the other run away from his treadmill so quickly. He caught himself before the milk had a chance to spill, standing back upright, grinning as he re-entered the bedroom.

“Nah, it’s cool- whatever you did was probably more action than it’s seen in months. Don’t even know why I keep the stupid thing out anymore, I never use it.” He chuckled, crossing the room in just a few strides, stopping just in front of the bed again to sit down on it beside the other.

“I used to run a lot, dunno’ why I kinda’ just stopped one day.” Sans gives a small shrug before placing the tray on his mirror’s lap.

Sans eyes widened at the sight of all those sandwiches delicately spread with the lovely, golden color of mustard. He shook and kept his hands to himself, afraid he wasn’t allowed to touch them until they were placed gently in his lap. He stared up at the other, wordless and eyes wide.

He looked as if he wanted permission before eating, swallowing dryly and looking as if he was starved for the longest of times.

“These are mine?” he asked ever so softly. 

“All yours, Red. Eat up.” Sans said, sitting back on his hands as he got comfortable on the bed. He still needed to actually dress the thing before either of them could actually fall asleep, which was going to be such a pain, but he’d do it anyway. The other Sans deserved a nice warm bed after all he’s been through, plus, he’d probably enjoy sleeping on the bed more with it.

Speaking of, he should probably get all that ready right now, so when the other finished his meal, the two of them could just pass out.

Sans stood back up, getting back into his closet once again- and pulled out the full dressings for his bed, pillows and all. He set everything next to his bed.

“There’s plenty more where that came from, too. I’ll get up and help Paps make something nice for breakfast, hows that sound?” Sans said, a small yawn managing to finally creep its way out of his mouth.

Sans had his mouth full, his cheeks wide as he filled it with all the good foods, his hands shaking as he drank the milk now and again, letting it trickle down his chin as he shoved another sandwich in his mouth. He peeked up at the other when he spoke, tilting his head at the blankets and sheets, and quickly standing and moving from the bed as he did so. 

“Mmnn- Okay~” he said sweetly. “I like sandwiches.” he said sweetly, stuffing another in his mouth and doing a little wiggle as he sat himself on the floor instead, among the dirty socks and shirts, his toes curling and outspread as he placed the platter on the floor between them. 

He was quick to dress the bed, albeit sloppily, throwing the fresh pillows down on it last, pleased with the way it looked for the most part. It’s not like it would be pretty in the morning anyway, not with two people sleeping on it at least. Once he approved, Sans sat down in front of his twin.

He watched the other eating like a starved dog, unsure of what to do now. All Sans could think of was to offer him sanctuary, not really wanting him to go back to that awful other time line.

Gently, Sans nudged his twin’s foot with his own, trying to get his attention. “Hey, how about you stay here for a bit?”

Sans peeked up at him as his foot was gently nudged, his eyes peering at him as he swallowed the last bit of his last sandwich, quickly chugging the milk down, until the other spoke. He choked on the milk, coughing harshly and trying to clear his throat. 

“.… S-…. Stay?” he asked, through cracking voice. “…Y–you mean here? Wi–with you?” he asked softly, tilting his head as milk slipped down his chin messily. 

He looked ready to burst into tears. 

“Yeah, I hardly use my room anyway, at least for sleeping.” Sans shrugs, typically he would fall asleep on the couch or in about a hundred other odd places. He did quickly crawl over once the other started to choke, patting his back to try and help.

“I wouldn’t mind having you around, don’t think Papyrus would mind either.” Sans reaches up, using the sleeve of his sweater to wipe the milk off his twin’s chin. “You know, if you’d want to.”

Sans stared at him as he rubbed away the milk on his chin, eyes flashing bright red, before gently he nudged his head into the other’s head, nuzzling their foreheads together, the feeling nice and sweet, and chaste. He felt tears in his eyes, but squeezed them away, his hands clinging to the others shirt. “Y-..yes, please..” He whined.

“I-I wanna.” he looked up at the others eyes, before jerking away, turning a bit red. “I-I’m sorry!” he whined. “I-I didn’t mean to do that.” 

“Heh, you didn’t do anything wrong, bro.” He chuckled, wrapping his twin in another warm hug, going back to nuzzle their foreheads together like he was doing before. He pulled away after a moment, giving the other a wide grin. 

“See? You didn’t hurt my feelings any.” His eye sockets fluttered slightly, starting to feel the weight of exhaustion start to hit, another yawn coming out. “Oh man, sorry about that, guess I’m getting tired.” Another weak chuckle as he rubbed their cheekbones together.

Sans made the cutest, almost animistic sound, his forehead nuzzling back and his hands clenching about the others hands, his smile wide as they nuzzled the way they did, plopped in the socks and silently enjoying each others company.

He watched as the other yawned, suddenly realizing it was pretty late. It hit him hard, and he let out the smallest, sweetest yawn, following the other quickly. He rubbed his eyes softly, before peeping up again. “W–will you be staying with me to sleep?” he asked quietly. 

“Yeah, I’ll stay with you, Red.” Sans said tiredly, smiling at the adorable sounds the other kept on making. He moved to stand up, taking his twin’s hands to help him up onto his feet as well, taking the few steps towards the bed. He wouldn’t have the heart to leave the other alone anyway, not after everything that’s happened.

“Plus, it’ll be nice to have some company for once.”

Sans held tightly to his hands, scampering towards the bed and climbing in, sinking into the cushions and the soft embrace of the blankets. He tugged them back, wiggling his bare feet beneath them and hiding under them like they were his shell. He peeped out at the other, grinning, before pulling back the blankets for him. 

Even with all this excitement, it was clear he was tired, in the way he looked and the way he yawned. He quickly pawed at the other, hugging him about the waist as he climbed in. 

He followed suit, letting the other drag him without protest into the bed beside him, cuddling close as he pulls the blanket up over them both. He nestled his head down on the soft pillows, idly wondering he never actually slept in his bed because it was really comfortable.

Another yawn escaped his mouth as they laid back.

“You comfy?” Sans asks, holding his alternate close, gently nudging their heads together.

Sans tangled one of his legs about the others leg, his head nestled into the others head gently, a sweet smile on his face as they cuddled together, just enjoying each others presence and touch. Sans spoke up softly, nodding as he stared at the other sans.

“Y-Yes I am~” he said softly, softly butting his head with the others, before slowly curling in on himself, his head pressed into his twin's chest and hands wrapped about him gently. “G–Goodnight~” he whispered. 

As they tangled up together, Sans couldn’t help but chuckle quietly at how the two managed to fit together like some messed up puzzle, finding it slightly amusing that he’d find such comfort in himself like this. An arm lazily looped under a pillow and around his mirror’s shoulder.

“Night, Red.” He left a tired kiss atop his twin’s head just as he started to doze off.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [He Won't Hurt You Anymore](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7921774) by [HammCheddr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HammCheddr/pseuds/HammCheddr)




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